FARA, based in Accra, Ghana, facilitates the coordination and exchange of information among the African Sub-Regional Agricultural Research Organisations (SROs), and their National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) stakeholders.

FARA’s main activities in supporting the SROs range from strategic planning, strengthening and integrating NARS at the sub-regional level, and increasing collaboration between NARS, International Agricultural Research Centres, (IARCs) and Advanced Research Institutes, (ARIs), with special attention to networking.

In consultation with NEPAD and its members, FARA will identify priority projects and activities for collaboration and integration of African agricultural research for development.

FARA and NEPAD will work together to enhance the capacity of African scientists, development agencies and farmers to take advantage of new technologies and methodologies to improve African agricultural productivity.

Aware of the need to streamline or scale up various activities within the region, sub-regions and country levels, FARA will involve all its stakeholders to achieve this objective.

NEPAD, in turn, will engage the international community, development partners and multilateral institutions in support of FARA.

A FARA-NEPAD liaison position based at the NEPAD Secretariat in Midrand, South Africa will coordinate all joint activities of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and will also provide other resources to strengthen support for the NEPAD Secretariat.

In welcoming the agreement Prof. Firmino Mucavele, NEPAD Chief Executive, said the improvement in agricultural performance and productivity is a prerequisite for economic development in Africa.

“It is our hope that the important efforts being put in motion by FARA will yield tangible results that will lift the livelihoods of the vast majority of the rural population who are farmers”.

Professor Mucavele praised FARA for its leadership in support of the NEPAD’s CAADP process in the following key areas :

The Framework for African Agricultural Productivity (FAAP) that aims to provide guidelines and criteria to create concerted action among the many African and non-African actors contributing to African agricultural research for development.

The Sub-Saharan Africa Challenge Programme (SSACP) now in its implementation phase is key to building a wider coalition of partners, including farmers’ organisations, in agriculture research and development.

Building Africa’s Scientific and Institutional Capacity (BASIC) is central in the entire CAADP process. Investing in human capacity to implement and upscale new approaches is important in the transformation of African agriculture.

The Dissemination of New Agricultural Technologies in Africa (DONATA) Development of mechanisms to encourage immediate application of proven research and farmer innovation is important to improve livelihoods now and deliver products effectively and efficiently.

The Regional Agricultural Information and Learning Systems (RAILS) is worth further investment. The information and learning systems that the programme intends to develop will provide more opportunities for linkages between scientists, farmers, policymakers, etc.

Professor Mucavele said he would like to see NEPAD and FARA explore the following key areas for deepening collaboration :

Develop a joint strategy in packaging the information and knowledge that has been generated on CAADP over the past five years.

Develop a joint capacity-building initiative, including post-graduate training and short- term training of agricultural professionals at the REC and country level.

The development and publication of joint policy briefs linked to agriculture research, information dissemination and adoption.

The Professor said NEPAD remains committed to supporting FARA in its “excellent efforts” in increasing African agricultural productivity.

“We are grateful to all partners who have committed resources to support the process. We would like to urge other partners to support NEPAD in the implementation process of the excellent CAADP agenda that NEPAD has defined”.

* The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Ms Njabulo Nduli, the chairperson, on behalf of FARA, and by Professor Mucavele. Source : NEPAD News, February 23, 2007